The Governor Says Goodbye . . .

BRANSON MO NEWS:

It wasn’t billed as Gov. Jay Nixon’s farewell address to the Missouri Press Association last Friday at Branson, but it may well have been since the two-term governor will leave after eight years as the top executive in Missouri government in January. A 30-year career in Missouri government will come to an end for Jay Nixon since eight years is the limit for Missouri governors.Gov. Nixon is an avid reader of newspapers — weeklies and dailies. He starts each day with newspapers.What he has read hasn’t always been favorable about himself, and the governor hasn’t always agreed with editorial positions of newspapers, but it is evident he respects the role of newspapers.

“The role of the free press is sacred,” Gov. Nixon said. He urged newspapers to use their “power” to influence and inform the public to gain the trust of the people.There is no more powerful force” than a free press and “don’t sell yourself short” in what you do, the governor told newspaper publishers, editors and reporters during the 150th convention of the Missouri Press Association in Branson last weekend.He said some of the “new media people” do not …